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The Onslaught of Electric Motorcycles Will Be Unstoppable

Todd Halterman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:49:23 +0000

For me, motorcycles have always been about internal combustion. The aroma of gas and oil. The percussive report of an engine at full throttle. It’s the sound and vibration as much as the propulsion that makes a ride what it is – a visceral experience.

Will that gut-moving experience be the same on a machine powered by an engine which runs – and sounds – as smooth as modern sewing machine?

Probably not, but there’s no use pining for the old days; the inevitable future now looms large on the horizon and it’s coming like a nearly silent freight train down the tracks to a motorcycle dealer near you.

Electric motorcycle makers failed to wave the flag at the recent Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York, but the count on the plug-in bikes to gain popularity by leaps and bounds in the next few years. One analyst who covers the market says it is so, so let it be written. At this point, few Americans ride electric motorcycles as only about 1,300 units were sold in this county last year. Dave Hurst, a clean technology expert with Pike Research, thinks sales of electric motorcycles will grow to something over 30,000 by 2017.

It’s pretty likely that anyone who currently owns an electric motorcycle also have a stable piston-powered bikes, but the lure of the new technology (and perhaps to a lesser degree, the eco-friendliness of electric bikes) will prove appealing to motorcyclists in the coming years as battery technology and performance improve, at least, according to Hurst.

So who’s leading the pack in the electric motorcycle manufacturing race right now?

Zero Motorcycles seems to be poised to push the field. One of the top electric motorcycle manufacturers selling in the United States, the company’s bikes made in Santa Cruz, Calif., are priced at between $7,695 and 11,495. The demographic for Zero’s customers skews a little on the elderly side at between 35 and 50 years old, and it’s the price of what is still essentially a toy that means only the affluent are the target market.

Zero doesn’t disclose exact sales figures but they do say their premium and longer-range models – those with a range of 114 miles per charge – are the most popular.

“Right now, the folks that are buying these are wealthy enough that the cost isn’t a major concern,” says Hurst. “I do think that the cost is definitely going to become a issue as you try to reach a broader audience.”

One company set on stepping into the marketplace in that lower-priced segment, a New York-based firm, Evolve Motorcycles, plans to fill the gap with a line of plug-in motorcycles and scooters to serve a less cash-heavy buying public. Benjamin Plum, Evolve’s founder, says Evolve are nearly ready to ship their version of electric scooters to nearly a dozen dealerships across the country and they plan to offer an electric motorcycle within the next couple of years.

“The motorcycle market is actually shrinking in some areas and expanding slower than the scooter market due to the worldwide economic climate,” says Plum.

Evolve scooters can be had for between $2,900 and $6,900, and while that isn’t exactly cheap, Plum says he’s hoping lower prices might draw first-time motorcycle buyers.

According to Hurst, dealerships that sell electric motorcycles will get a boost from simply having them on the showroom floor. Zero currently numbers 43 dealerships on their list in North America and expects more to sign on by this spring.

“Traditional power sports dealers that would handle a Honda Goldwing or something like that have been sort of shying away from them, but we’re starting to see that turn,” Hurst said.

In the performance electric motorcycle market, another American company, Brammo, is making some waves.

“Brammo and Zero have really been focused on some specialized markets,” Hurst said.

Gone But Not Forgotten – The Crocker Big Tank Motorcycle

Todd Halterman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:29:39 +0000

There was once a time in the not too distant past when buying a custom motorcycle meant buying a really custom motorcycle – one distinctly tailored to the whims and wants of the rider and created specifically out of the factory for an individual rider.

Al Crocker built such machines.

The Legendary Crocker Motorcycle was the king of the road.

A Crocker was built with a heavy duty cycle – and maximum performance – in mind. Each bike, like a Hong Kong suit, was custom-tailored to the individual rider’s specs and built entirely in Al Crocker’s own facility. Riders could choose color, the level of chrome trim attached, and had a choice of which gear ratio and displacement setup would work best for his or her needs.

Al Crocker founded Crocker Motorcycles in 1936 after spending more than 20 years honing his skills engineering and designing bikes for Indian. Crocker and his former foreman at Indian, Paul Bigsby knew from their experience in the industry that they had the know-how to compete in the market.

And they had something more important than experience. They had a vision of what a motorcycle should be…

Starting with hand-wrought speedway race bikes, Crocker and company gutted the competition of the day by setting new high-water marks for performance and quality. That new standard outpaced the efforts of Harley-Davidson, Indian and damn near everyone else a long stretch of years. Crocker was the standard by which motorcycles would be judged until 1942 when the company folded in the face of material shortages brought on by the war and an attendant economic slowdown.

But for their efforts (and only around 100 bikes came out of the factory in the company’s heyday) the Crocker’s that did exit the factory floor are now among the rarest and most coveted motorcycles on the planet.

During a MidAmerica Auctions motorcycle sale back in 2007, a 1941 Crocker big tank brought $230,000 and in 2006 a 1931 Crocker 61 sold for $236,500. A 1937 Crocker “Hemi-head” V-Twin sold for $276,500 and a 1939 Crocker 61 cubic-inch side valve model brought $200,000 during roughly that same time period.

So what made Crocker motorcycles such an object of desire among motorcycle aficionados?

A Crocker transmission was built to handle the massive amounts of torque his unique proprietary engine design could crank out, and a meticulously engineered three speed transmission moved the bike to unheard of speeds. Crocker was confident enough in his engineering prowess and manufacturing skills that he offered to refund the entire purchase price to any buyer who was beaten by a rider on a factory stock Harley or Indian, and he never had to make good on that promise.

A Crocker would do zero to sixty – in first gear – and in times that left the competition in its wake. The stock hemi-head bikes cranked out 60hp and were capable of a top speed of 110 mph, and no other machine on the market at the time came close to that kind of performance.

Utilizing a 3.25″ bore and 3.625 stroke, the 61 cubic inch Crocker engines looked like a beautiful cube. The cylinders were set 45 degrees apart and the compression ratio was 7:1 on most machines (and 11:1 certain custom bikes), and Crocker’s were designed to be customized. Massive cylinder walls 3/8-inch thick were made to be over-bored and some customizers managed to create Crockers boasting 90 cu. in. of pure, unadulterated horsepower unparalleled for the times.

Crocker Motorcycles has, in a sense, reemerged in back 1997 and began by producing parts for one an American restorer. The re-invented company officially incorporated Crocker Motorcycle Company in January 1999 and has been producing reproduction bikes. They’ve also, back in 2007, created a modern homage to founder Al Crocker, the C4 Concept.

Designer Daryl R. Tearne came up with the fourth model in the history of the Crocker marque (following the Speedway, the Small Tank and the last of the original breed, the Big Tank) and says the C4 was an attempt to build a modern Crocker the way Al Crocker would have done it today. Tearne says using Penske suspension, this new Crocker will make the company -like its forefather – capable of offering a custom fit for any customer. A single-sided rear swing arm, alloy accents taken from the Big and Small Tank originals and other touches complete the picture for the built-to-order offering by this latest incarnation from the Crocker Motorcycle Company.

What Money And Carbon Fiber Can Do The Mansory Zapico Custom Motorcycle

Todd Halterman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:04:09 +0000

A couple of things about money. If you don’t have any, you can get obsessed with the things it might buy you if you did have money. And if you have money, you can do some crazy things with it to keep yourself amused.

I think this bike fits the ‘I have money and I’m going to do something crazy with it’ paradigm rather well.

Mansory is a German outfit which turns very expensive cars like, say, an Aston Martin, into what I like to think are four-wheeled, designer handbags for the uber-wealthy.

So what happens when a concern known for applying real gold to every surface of a car takes on a motorcycle design? Well, you get the work of motorcycle customizer Thomas M. George and the Mansory touch…

The Mansory Zapico is positively dipped in carbon fiber to give it a look that says to you, clearly but not without some touch of mannered German condescension at your economic inadequacy, ‘I’m sorry, Herr Buyer, but if you have to ask how many Deutschmarks it costs, well…’

The company says all the carbon-fiber pieces and the wheels of the bike were hand built in what is certainly a well-ordered and immaculate factory in Bavaria.

What would you get for your outlay of currency? Start with a 124 c.i. V-twin from American engine builder S&S which cranks out 160 horsepower – enough juice to move you from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds.

Maestro Kourosh Mansory would like you to notice that his machine is wrought from only the finest carbon, and additionally, that all the exquisite work is accomplished at the Mansory factory in Brand well inside the borders of the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria. Mansory and his shock troops have been customizing exclusive and renowned car brands like Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche and Rolls Royce since 1989, and the results, while they speak for themselves, are rather pricey to acquire.

Specifications:

Tires:
Front: 130/60/18″
Rear: 280/35/18″

Rims:
Front: 3.5 x 18″ carbon disc
Rear: 10 x 18″ carbon disc by Mansory

Engine:
S&S T 124 V2 (spring-loaded vibration), the only one of its kind found in this suspension worldwide
Capacity: 124 cubic inches (ca. 2,080 cubic cm)
Power: 160 hp at 5,200 revs per minute
Gears: 5-speed

Bodywork:
CFRP by MANSORY:
Design by Thomas M. George
Front mask, bug spoiler, seat module, primary shield, silencer applications, fuel tank, frame, fork, wheel rims, airbox all carbon-fibery lucious

Aluminum applied on the fuel tank, spoiler and rear fender

Leather:
By Mansory, of course

Weight:
Around 750lbs

Awesome V12 Lincoln Motorcycle

Todd Halterman — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:17:20 +0000

If you’re into auctions, and strange but excellent motorcycles, then this might just be the ticket.

Mid America Auctions is offered a 1948 Lincoln Zephyr-driven V12 custom motorcycle, one of two made by Olson’s V8 in Illinois.

Featuring a flathead motor derived from the classic Ford Flathead V8 – only with the addition of four extra cylinders – Dale Olson created this monster bike.

Probably a little problematic in a lot of ways and surely boasting the turning radius of a cruise ship, it’s still cool as an exercise in what a man can do if he has a dream and a lot of time on his hands.

It may not be the most practical motorcycle in the world, but man, that engine would make all the issues seem trivial once you got it out on the road and heard the sound.

Buying Your First Bike? The Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

The Top Ten Fast Street Legal Motorcycles We Covet

Todd Halterman — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:53:42 +0000

It’s become a sort of ‘arms race’ to see who can make the fastest, street-legal, production motorcycle going.

With that in mind, and with a clear understanding of the appeal of going really, really fast on two wheels, we present this list of ten fast street legal motorcycles you can saddle up on.

As always, we urge caution should you decide to buy one of these beasts, and we’d also like you to call us and make the offer to let us take your new bike around the block a couple of times.

1. MV Agusta F4 1100 CC

MV Agusta F4 1100 CC

MV Agusta F4 1100 CC comes straight out of the crate injected with power to spare and can, given a liberal dose of throttle, easily reach a top speed of 195 mph. That kind of speed comes at a price, and that price is a heady $135,000.

2. Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-

Produced from 2000 to 2006, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R featured an in-line, four-stroke engine capable of producing 178 bhp and mind-bending torque at 10500 rpm. An aircraft aluminum frame makes this bike a looker in the bargain. With a top speed of 185.8 mph, this 1200 cc bike lacks only wings to enter a suborbital glide path.

3. Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa

Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa

Ball-peen hammer performance makes this bike, the Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa, a real widowmaker. Featuring a four-stroke, four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine capable of stunning performance, the 1298 cc liquid cooled engine can produce 175 bhp and a ton of torque. With a dry weight of just 473 lbs, the power to weight ratio is well, just not right.

4. Honda CBR1100XX

Honda CBR1100XX

The Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird positively murdered it’s number one rival, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11, when it debuted back in 1996. Capable of reaching a top speed of 178.5 mph, this Honda topped the list of the world’s fastest production motorcycles in the 90s. An 1137 cc, 4-valve, liquid cooled inline-four engine cranked out 132.9 bhp and 78 ft-lbs of tooth-grinding torque.

5. BMW K1200S

BMW K1200S

The BMW K1200S utilizes its 1157-cc four-cylinder inline engine – a mill which winds up 160 bhp – this bike is just plain fast. Agile and BMW-reliable, this piece of German jewelry can hold its own on track day or through the twisties on a day run with all your other insane sportbiker friends.

6. Ducati 1098

Ducati 1098

While its no Panigale, the Italian Motorcycle Company Ducati created some serious buzz with the 1098. The bike’s 2-cyclinder, four-stroke liquid cooled engine produces, depending on your skill as a tuner, 160-180 bhp and lays down 90-99 ft-lbs of torque. How fast is it? How about zero to 60 mph in less as 3 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph…

7. Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

The Aprilla RSV1000 Mile comes fixed with a 998cc engine which will push it along to a top speed of 169 mph and generates some 128 bph. Fast with superb handling, it’s more than just a pretty face.

8. Yamaha YZF-R1

Yamaha YZF-R1

The Yamaha YZF-R1 is a venerable machine from a venerable performance marque. With a 998cc four-cylinder inline engine strapped on, you end up on the receiving end of 179 bph and more torque than may be entirely prudent.

9. MTT Y2K Turbine Superbike

MTT Y2K Turbine Superbike

Moved along by a turbine engine, MTT Y2K Turbine, as its name suggests, sports a Rolls-Royce 250-C20 turboshaft engine, rolls up to a top speed of 230 mph and 320 bhp and 425 ft-lb torque on the pavement. Startling, but the sound alone might make it worth the price of admission – if you’re the drummer in a rock band or Jay Leno…

10. Ducati Desmosedici RR

Ducati Desmosedici RR

The Ducati Desmosedici RR came fitted with a 989 cc engine, this 377-pound marvel cranks out 197 bhp and 85 ft-lbs. of beautiful, Italian torque.

The History of More Things That Were, And Now Are, Sort of Motorcycles

Todd Halterman — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:28:26 +0000

For years, designers have dreamed of creating a vehicle with the driving appeal of a motorcycle and the enclosed safety of a car, and one of the earliest attempts, the Ford Gyron, was a two-wheeled gyrocar first unveiled way back in 1961 as a concept car.

Though the configuration was something like a motorcycle, the vehicle was stabilized by gyroscopes.

Two occupants were seated side by side and when the vehicle was stationary, two small outriggers appeared from the sides to support it. Though there was never any intention to produce the Gyron, designer Alex Tremulis used gyroscopic systems based on Louis Brennan’s theories.

Ford Motor Company gave credit for the Gyron to Brennan.

Tremulis began his career working for the US Air Force and numbered among his projects a plan to build a “military flying saucer.” Tremulis was also the chief designer for the far-ahead of its time Tucker automobile before he joined Ford.

Tremulis went on to design concepts for Ford which included the “Tuscan Gyroscopic Motorcycle” and the Gyronaught XU1 gyroscopic car.

Now Lit Motors of San Francisco, lead by designer and engineer Daniel Kim, says they have the first production 2-seat vehicle combining the efficiency and freedom of a motorcycle with the safety of a car.

“We’re trying to open up safety to a huge market of 200 million motorcyclists daily in the world. We have a huge market, and I think we could have a lot of impact” says Kim.

The C1 features an electronically-controlled gyroscopic stabilizing system to keep it upright when stopped or at low speeds, and company says it will remain upright even in a side-impact collision.

A variety of battery packs provide a full-charge range of from 150 to 200 miles after a 4 to 6 hour juice-up.

According to Lit, the C1 depends on electric hub high-performance Remy HVH motors to drive both wheels.

The company also says the C1 uses KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), a technology which transfers energy normally lost during braking to deliver power back to the drivetrain when the vehicle is accelerating.

Lit says the top speed of the C1 should be around 120 mph…

Deeply Conflicted – Why A Trike Instead of A Motorcycle

Todd Halterman — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:14:51 +0000

I’ve always had a hard time understanding why someone who loves riding a motorcycle would want to ride something that just isn’t a motorcycle.

I refer, of course, to the trike.

It’s not that I don’t understand the appeal and appreciate the engineering involved, and there may well come a day when it’s time for me to sell off all the two-wheelers and mount up on one myself, but I hope that day is far, far off in the unforeseeable and ineluctable future.

There’s a guy in my neighborhood who drinks at the local watering hole and made this marvel of engineering and audacity, and I see him riding it around all the time. I must admit that I think it’s sweet as pecan pie, but I just can’t see myself riding around on one myself.

It’s kind of a moped joke issue for me. And they don’t lean.

I’d be proud as hell to be the guy who built this RatWheeler, it’s a thing of beauty and a joy to behold, but riding one?

I’ve also yet to hear anyone make a convincing argument as to why they want one over say, the latest and greatest Ducati or a fine old Indian, but maybe that’s because I usually don’t pay much attention to what people are saying.

Okay, I get it, the suspension makes the ride softer and allows for a more comfortable seating position, but what else is different about riding a trike?

Those in the know say the biggest difference riders have to adjust to when riding their first trike is the lack of countersteering.

When riding a motorcycle, countersteering is the name given to the counter-intuitive technique used by motorcyclists to turn corners. Countersteering is a method of initiating a turn by a small, momentary turn of the front wheel, via the handlebars, in the opposite (counter) direction of the intended path of travel. It usually doesn’t take much physical effort, and that’s because the geometry of a motorcycle’s steering system brings with it a tendency for the front wheel to steer in the direction of a lean.

With a trike, you steer it like you do a car, and since there’s no way to lean, you pull back the right handlebar with your right hand and you turn right and vice versa.

Unless, of course, you’re riding a “reverse trike,” or one where the paired wheels are in the front of the bike.

Then you have to deal with a little principal called Ackerman geometry, and the gist of the explanation of that is the need for tires to slip sideways when following a common path around a curve. Ackerman is the geometrical solution and does it with all the wheels having their axles arranged as radii of a circle with a common center point. As the rear wheel is fixed, the center point must be on a line extended from the rear axle.

It’s basically a principal that says the steering geometry is designed so that the inside wheel in a turn will turn more than the outside wheel. Without Ackerman? One tire will tend to ‘scrub’ in a turn, and that’s hard on linkages and tires, real hard on them.

Now that I have all that covered and I have a rough understanding of how trikes steer and work…I still don’t want one.

At least not yet.

SuperTrike at the TimeOut Lounge – Photo by Todd Halterman

Collector

Insuring your collectible or vintage motorcycle

As for insurance for your collectible motorcycle? You should be able to get Agreed Value coverage on a classic 1959 BSA Gold Star Catalina valued at $15,000 for somewhere around $25 a month, and that gives you the whole shooting match of coverage.

You can spend a lot less, but if you plan to ride the bikes in your collection, the above pricing is a reasonable approximation of what you can expect to pay.

Loud Horns Save Lives – The Peter Olt Motorcycle Horn Solution

Todd Halterman — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:08:55 +0000

If you’ve been riding motorcycles for any length of time, and if you’re like me and you can only afford older bikes, you know one thing for a certainty; the first thing you discover when you purchase a new (read old but new to you) ride is that the damn horn doesn’t work.

I’m not an electrical engineer so I have no idea why OEM horns on older bikes tend to fail with an alarming (pardon the pun) regularity – they just do.

This guy, however, is an electrical engineer and he says he’s got a solution to the problem.

His name is Peter Olt and he’s been riding bikes for 30 years. He sent me a link to his proposal for a new motorcycle safety system, and it really got me thinking about what would make a motorcycle safer.

The whole “loud pipes save lives” thing is a complete misnomer. By the time someone hears you coming – due to a little piece of physics called the Doppler Effect – loud pipes or not, you’re already toast when a cager pulls out in front of you.

I ride a lot out on country roads in the boondocks of Michigan, and this would sure be nice for those times when I see a whole gang of vicious deer intent on causing mayhem massing by the side of the rural route.

I leave it to you to decide if you need one of these, but I must admit to liking the idea…

Here’s a video The Banshee Horn in Action:

If you like the idea, why not kick in a few bucks to his Kickstarter project and see where the adventure leads you?

If you do the full pledge, Olt says he’ll send you the complete package, which includes:

The patented control unit which will come with all wiring and connections – ready to install.
A 135 decibel (12 volt) compact air horn in either black or chrome – your choice.
A universal mounting bracket for the air horn.
Easy to follow instructions including links to online videos.

For the smaller pledge he’ll supply:

The patented control unit which will come with all wiring and connections – ready to install.
Easy to follow instructions including links to online videos.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Riding on Air

Todd Halterman — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:25:53 +0000

What makes a motorcycle a Motorcycle?

Is it grease? Chains? Chrome? Well, if not those, then it must be gasoline and noise.

But then again, how about one with no gearbox, no exhaust system and no gas tank?

Design student Edwin Yi Yuan is one of the men behind what could be a work of inspirational genius, or maybe just a conceptual exercise doomed to the dustbin of history.

Yuan and his instructor at RMIT in Melbourne have the dream of setting a world land speed record in South Australia on what is essentially a stripped-down Suzuki motorcycle driven by a rotary air engine and pushed along by high-pressure air tanks.

The motorcycle, known as the Green Speed Air Powered Motorcycle, is built around an old Suzuki GP100 from the 1970s which was then stripped down to a rolling chassis that left only the frame of the bike, the wheels and brakes.

The engine? It’s a rotary air engine developed by Angelo Di Pietro which generates up to 3,000 RPM. Compressed air stored in the bike’s on-board carbon fiber tanks.

Di Pietro qualified as Congegniatore Meccanico in Avellino and moved to Stuttgart, Germany to work on the Wankel rotary engine at the Mercedes Benz research laboratories 1969 and 1970. In 1971 he migrated to Australia where he established a construction engineering company. But it was from his early experience with Wankel rotary engines that Di Pietro became obsessed with developing a more efficient engine to replace traditional reciprocating internal combustion engine technology.

He’s been at it on and off for the last 30 years.

Back in 1999, Di Pietro says he made the major design breakthrough which would allow the realization of his invention and decided to fully focus on the development of his new motor concept.

But Yuan is hardly the only designer and motorcycle freak to think “air” when is comes to bikes.

The “Pursuit” – the work of industrial designer Dean Benstead – also uses Di Pietro’s “air mill.”

Benstead’s “air hammer” is a motocross bike wrought from aluminum components which weighs in at a positively svelte 221 lbs. This sucker is capable of somewhere around 62 mph top speed .

“The bike is running a standard scuba tank which runs air compressed up to 200 bar. With further developments, we would be looking at running a tank at 400 bar with increased capacity to also increase the range,” Benstead said.

If you had the earth-friendly constitution, refinement and pocketbook to buy a Brammo electric bike, your insurance needs can get complicated. We’re here to help you find the right insurance for your brand new electric or hydrogen-powered motorcyle…

An Elemental and Sleek Motorcycle Design From Mac Motorcycles

Todd Halterman — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:53:01 +0000

http://carefullyconsidered.com/projects/mac-cycles/

This concept cosmetic design for Mac Motorcycles, a start-up motorcycle company in the UK with a nod to classic cafe bikes, really speaks to me. It’s elemental without looking too geeked-up and impractical. The design team somehow managed to make this bike look both wispy and tough at the same time, and that’s no mean feat.

The bikes are powered by a Buell single, air-cooled, 2-valve, push rod, 492cc, 5-speed taken out of the ‘Blast’models, and that makes them “thumpers” in the classic mode of the old Yamaha SR500, a favorite of cafe racer builders the world over. Valve adjustment is handled automatically via the use of hydraulic lifters, and the transmission placed low in the frame to aid with handling. The stock Buell motors produce 34 HP at 6500 RPM, and Mac adds a bolt-on big-bore kit (515 cc), Andrews Cams, a Mikuni HSR 42 carb’, Screamin’ Eagle ignition and a Supertrapp exhaust to crank that output up to near 50 HP at 7200 RPM.

The Mac Motorcycles team has this to say about their concept:

We explored a variety of visual approaches and production techniques. The intention was to create something new in a category that is overwhelmingly garish with logos and neon graphics that also complemented the amazing industrial design by Xenophya.

While keeping the integrity of the classic look, we created eight prototype designs that employ such production techniques as laser etching, anodized finishes, and screen-printed graphics applied to the gas tanks. This, along with simpler color systems, helps bring a more subtle, conceptual approach to the identity.

This project has received incredible recognition not just in the design community, but, more importantly, in the motorcycle-enthusiast community — nearly 100 mentions and spreading including articles and mentions in Fast
Company, Bike EXIF, Asphalt and Rubber, MBF Motorcycle forums, Cyril Huze Blog, Bikes in the Fast Lane and of course right here at Motorcycleinsurance.com.

My Bike Smells Like Fries – Yum

Todd Halterman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:06:18 +0000

Clearly, the future of the motorcycle, as is the case with it’s lesser cousin, the automobile, does not lie the way of fossil fuel power.

It’s time to face facts, only the hardcore outsiders will be left to ride inefficient, gasoline-powered motorcycles before the close of the decade. It’s written large on the horizon for those willing to face the horrible truth.

Diesel Works of Ann Arbor, Michigan’s Joe McEachern designed a custom two-tank waste vegetable oil fuel system for an out-there bike built from an Arctic Fox diesel ATV engine.

The bike, designed and fabricated by the Detroit Brothers, looks a little useless, but since it uses Vegpower components, it does have the benefit of smelling like Ray’s Drive-In in Grand Haven, MI…

Electric Motorcycle?

Progressive International Motorcycle Shows Are Heading Your Way And Bringing the Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show

Todd Halterman — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:14:20 +0000

This series of traveling shows features a gear and accessory marketplace, hands-on tutorials, demo rides, and custom bike displays.

And the best part of the whole deal? The Progressive’s 2011 International Motorcycle Shows feature new bikes and personalities from the world of motorcycling sure to pique your interest.

The show travels to:

Novi, MI (January 6-8, 2012)
Washington, DC (January 13-15, 2012)
New York, NY (January 20-22, 2012)
Cleveland, OH (January 27-29, 2012)
Minneapolis, MN (February 3-5, 2012)
Chicago, IL (February 10-12, 2012)
Charlotte, NC (February 24-26, 2012)
Daytona Beach, FL (March 14-17, 2012)

Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show

If a great bike show isn’t enough to get you out in the snow, then how about a traveling buildoff which features the world’s leading builders of customized bikes – and offers the largest prize purse of any builder competition on earth - the Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show.

If you make the scene, you’ll get access to the foremost custom bike building competition on the planet where you can see some incredible designs, precise engineering and painstakingly wrought paint-jobs. You’ll have the chance to meet the artists, maybe get an autographs or a picture (if that’s how you roll), and then take part in the great American biker democracy by voting for your favorite machine.

MotorcycleUSA.com is the official sponsor of the “People’s Choice” voting center in this year’s Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show, and they’re giving away – yup, giving away - a customized 2011 Honda Fury to the lucky person at the end of the 2011-2012 Progressive International Motorcycle Show season. If you check out the Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show and vote for the “People’s Choice” award, you’re automatically entered to win the MotorcycleUSA Honda Fury

The official rules for the MotorcycleUSA.com Honda Fury Giveaway are right HERE…

If you have the skills and the sack for it, you can compete with the best custom motorcycle builders in the world simply by entering your bike into one of four competition classes – Freestyle, Hot Bike Modified Harley, Super Streetbike Performance Custom or Retro Mod.

Do it here now by submitting your form:

Step 1) Click HERE to Enter

Step 2) Click HERE to Pay Your Entry Fee

Official Rules Page – Click Here

All Competition Details – Click Here

Made From Historical Perfection – A Brand New Brough Superior

Todd Halterman — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:02:48 +0000

The Brough Superior may well be the most perfect expression of the motorcycle in history.

Without question, if you’re willing to ignore the impact of the Vincent Black Shadow, Brough is the most legendary name in the history of motorcycle manufacturing. These hand-wrought British machines were referred to as “The Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles,” and their sublime craftsmanship and premium pricing helped them live up to the name. Aside from being beautifully crafted, Brough Superiors actually performed. Bikes from the legendary stable won races and set speed records which were the envy of their peers.

The really awesome thing about the marque is that, despite the many years since the first production models rolled off the line, they’re back in production. These entirely bespoke motorcycles harken back to their 1930′s antecedents, but modern improvements make them a hugely desirable – and ride-able – object of motorcycling desire .

If you want one, and you know you do, you must be a particularly well-heeled sort with no shortage of American Cash Money. How much? Well, you’ll need at least a tightly-packed suitcase full of hundreds as this model, available on a first serve basis confirmed by a 50% deposit, will set you back a cool quarter-million. That’s right, sport, one of these will cost you $250,000 and if you have the means and actually purchase one, please have the common decency to invite me by your garage and allow me the pleasure of taking it for a ride around the county. I’ll be happy to sign any release you deem necessary and insure myself properly.

Getting your hands on your bike, once the six month build period is over, requires a client consultation prior to the start of the build. And by the way, your bike will be made entirely in the United Kingdom and Austria by Brough Superior Motor Cycles Ltd.

Insuring your collectible or vintage motorcycle

You can spend a lot less, but if you plan to ride the bikes in your collection, the above pricing is a reasonable approximation of what you can expect to pay.

Would You Buy A New Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight

Todd Halterman — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:45:56 +0000

Harley-Davidson Forty Eight

There’s something of a lingering “shame factor” for those of us American males who have never owned a Harley-Davidson. It’s simply one of those things a motorcyclist is expected to do if he or she lives in these United States.

But my problems with the iconic American motorcycle brand extend back to the days of my youth when Harleys were synonymous with leaking oil, poor handling and a woeful lack of power when put up against their enormous weight. The 70′s-era Harley-Davidson was just plain unreliable and difficult to love.

As the Motor Company now makes a push to appeal to a younger and more serious riding audience, they’ll have that hurdle to overcome, and I for one am willing to give them that chance.
To that end, the Sportster “Forty-Eight” is one of Harley’s latest additions to the “Dark Custom” line. For the most part, the bikes feature the black-out motor treatment and, at least as far as their styling cues go, the line attempts to recover some lost ” attitude” and to recapture the glory days. Featuring chopped fenders, a classic side mounted license plate configuration, low profile handlebars (though some of the Dark Customs go with ape hangers) and mirrors mounted below the bars, the Forty-Eight uses a fork brace, slammed rear suspension and an old school Frisco-esque “Peanut Tank” to complete the look. It’s that woefully tiny 2.1 gallon “Peanut Tank” – first used on a Harley back in, you guessed it 1948, that gives the new bike its moniker.

The Forty-Eight packs the standard 1200 cc, fuel injected, air-cooled Evolution engine into the frame and, at least according to the company, it cranks out 79 ft. lbs. of torque @ 4000 rpm. It does have a nice bottom end, but it needs to have that kind of torque to make it’s bloated 560+ lbs get away from a stop light before your average Prius covers that feat.

The one thing Harley seems incapable of doing is getting rid of teeth-chattering vibration. Though the mill is rubber mounted, the whole Sportster line has always rattle the paint off the tank, and some things never change.

The 5-speed transmission is sort of cool with a solid, mechanical feel, but the brakes? Not so awesome. I do like the look and the beefy MT90B 16 72H front tire with its blacked out rims is the epitome of cool.

I’m not a small guy, and the 26” seat height from the road might be a good thing for shorter riders but it’s not for me at well over six feet tall. To make the bike that low, the designers only had 2” of suspension travel to work with, and that makes the bike ride like – well – the old school hardtail it was made to emulate. The upright riding position appeals to me and soothes my back, and the foot pegs with their forward positioning don’t let you balance your weight to let your legs dissipate the brutal shocks delivers to the rider.

Okay, I’m done beefing, at least for a second.

The Forty-Eight is beautifully fitted and finished in the Harley tradition.

The bottom line, would I buy one or even ride it a lot if someone took pity on me and handed one over in a fit of insane generosity? I really don’t think I would.

If you do happen to want one, a “Forty-Eight” will set you back somewhere around the list price of $10,499 in black and a few hundred more if you the sort who needs color in their life. If I had that kind of money to spend on a bike, and I had to fight back the No Harley Shame, I’d look back to the past – the real past and not the faux past the Forty-Eight shoots for – and buy a tricked-out, blacked out Softail.

But that’s just me, and I’d rather have a Triumph anyway to keep the floor of my garage clean. Okay, that was a cheap shot and I’m ashamed of myself. In so many ways…

If you take the plunge and buy a brand new Harley Forty Eight, your insurance needs to be spot on to make sure you protect your investment.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance for your brand new Harley-Davidson…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup

Can Harley Davidson Hold On To the Youth Market?

Todd Halterman — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:38:44 +0000

: $14,000 Harley-Davidson Dark Custom Street Bob

Harleys are for old men and hardcore biker gang members.

At least, that’s the perception many younger riders have of the company and its products.

For at least the last ten years, Harley-Davidson Inc has largely failed to reach a younger audience – and it’s the tastes of that audience that’s likely to determine the future health of the last big American motorcycle manufacturer. The Milwaukee firm has pounded enormous amounts of money and resources into new lines of motorcycles aimed squarely at 20 and 30-year-old riders as Harley’s core customer base became grayer and older.

“Our goal really was to be the No.1 seller of motorcycles to young adults in the United States,” said Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer. “We are now.”

Chief Executive Keith Wandell says that effort is finally paying dividends, figuratively if not yet literally, after he began modernizing the company.

The price of those changes? Offending the graying crowd of Harley loyalists, for one…

In a speech to analysts at Harley’s plant in Pennsylvania a couple of weeks ago, Wandell said he’s committed to “extending the reach of the brand beyond our core customers.”

That’s what Wandell said, but he may not be entirely convinced of the strategy and he’s certainly unsure of the possible repercussions.

“That’s a touchy situation. Our core customers have allowed our company to be successful – so there’s a certain amount of jealousy, if you will, around the brand,” Wandell said.

Well no kidding…

The new, shaved-down and nearly bobbed bikes that make up the Dark Custom lineup and aren’t your father’s Harley anymore, and the old line customers are making sure the dealers know it.

“They’re like, ugh, that’s not a real Harley,” said Joe Fredo, sales manager of Harley-Davidson of New York City.

But it’s not the traditional buyer of Harley-Davidsons that the company is counting on to keep the production lines running in York, PA. The company’s push to skew younger has eaten up millions of dollars worth of investment in design changes, youth marketing of lower-priced machines – and perhaps most importantly - a considerable effort to teach thousands of neophyte bikers to operate a their machines.

“Our goal really was to be the No.1 seller of motorcycles to young adults in the United States,” said Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer. “We are now.”

And he’s not wrong. Since the changes Harley has increased its share of the heavy-bike market sold to buyers under the age of 35 by more than a thirty-three percent and H-D now lays claim to 48.6 percent of that critical youth market, and that’s according to R.L. Polk & Co.. It means the Men of Milwaukee now quadruple the share of its closest competitors in the big-bike segment. In 2008, just under seventeen percent of new Harley buyers were under the age of 35,and by 2010, the number ballooned up to 21 percent.

If you think it’s all over but the shouting and H-D has won the youth war, think again. Wandell notes that the current age of the company’s average buyer is a stodgy age 55.

The new Dark Custom trim line bikes like the Street Bob are a reflection of a shift in taste toward a more old-school and sporty design.

“Young people love the look of it. It’s kind of that rockabilly, rock-and-roll, urban, cool cruiser look,” said Kenn Hartmann, a salesman at Harley-Davidson in Berwyn, Illinois.

Pricing has definitely been a key and the cheap bike is fueling the brand with a younger demographic. The bike with the most momentum on its way out of showrooms? The Iron 883 in the Dark Custom trim.

“Our bestseller is our cheapest bike,” said Fredo. “I can hardly keep them in stock.”

Lower-priced Sportster sales are growing twice as fast as Harley-Davidson’s other motorcycle lines.

Custom motorcycles require the correct insurance coverage package to protect what is, after all, a significant investment on your part .

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance for your custom bike…

Tips for buying motorcycle insurance for your custom:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.
Additional coverage to replace or repair accessories specific to your bike.